So basically, there's been this narrative for so long, which I feel like has been said for every decade of music, but the whole narrative that "all modern music sucks" or "music that comes out nowadays is trash" is getting very annoying. I definitely do feel like it's coming from a place of being close-minded and it's not just coming from people who are from the older generation, but even the newer ones as well.
To me, whenever people say all modern music is bad, these people are only talking about music that's on the billboards or just only mainstream music, which I can agree with; it hasn't been exactly good for a while, but at the same time, you'll still find songs that do have retro elements to them, which is great. it's like some of y'all need to actually go and look for the music that you want, rather than just making generalizations that it's all bad. I personally would have never been able to find the artists that I truly love and listen to all the time if I didn't go actually searching for it. I really think a lot of people should invest more in obscure indie artists that actually have more control and freedom over their music and what they want to write. This is because, personally, I think there's more creativity that comes out of that (rather than from an artist that's constantly being pressured by their label to put out a certain kind of music or try to appeal to TikTok virality).
Even when I hear someone in some comment section, especially from some old-timer saying, "They don't make music like this anymore,” and it would be on some '80s song. I'm like, "Dude, I can give you like five artists who are dropping old-school-sounding music right now,” but most of these people who think like this don't want to accept that idea, and they only want to live. In their close-minded, pessimistic mindset, that something just doesn't exist anymore when it does.
And what makes it crazier is that these same kinds of people who yearn for older music and want it back are the same ones who will hate on a newer artist or just claim that most modern artists have no originality and they keep stealing stuff from the past or trying to recreate it. What do you want, then? You're not open to new kinds of music being made, but then constantly compare past eras of music and expecting the modern era to live up to that when it's just not possible.
I think that's the bigger issue here people confuse nostalgia with quality. Just because something sounds familiar or reminds you of a time when you were younger doesn't automatically make it better. And just because a new song doesn't immediately appeal to you doesn't mean there's nothing worthwhile about it. Sometimes you have to give music a chance, explore different genres, and step outside your comfort zone to find something you genuinely enjoy. You might discover an artist who completely changes your perspective on what modern music can sound like.
At the end of the day, I'm not saying that modern music is perfect or that people aren't allowed to criticize it. There are definitely issues with the music industry today, and no I'm not bashing older music or trying to dismiss people who do prefer certain eras of music. I really do wish that there were some things that modern music could take away from other eras of music, such as artist development or taking a more old-school approach to building singers than just trying to chase TikTok trends while not establishing a clear identity for an artist, or maybe more songs being complete and longer, having bridges, and better lyrical content than just a 1- or 2-minute song that feels unfinished. Stuff like that yk?
I just wish people would stop treating music like it's something that peaked decades ago. Music is constantly evolving, and that's part of what makes it so interesting. Artists are always finding new ways to experiment with sounds, revisit older styles, and create something that feels fresh while still being inspired by the past. You can appreciate the music you grew up with without dismissing everything that came afterward. Because just imagine if music did not evolve past a certain point? If music didn't evolve past the 2000s or the '80s and it was still the same old shit decades later, imagine how boring that would be.
But anyway, that's all I have to say. Let me know what you think in the comments down below, and I want to know your thoughts.